Today we -- Mike as Head of School and Dan as Board Chair -- write together to share with you the newly approved Redwood Day School Mission Statement and Strategic Plan that set out the path of RDS for years to come. In doing so, we honor the spirit of Generations' Day and of Thanksgiving by honoring and thanking those who have gone before us and laid a remarkable foundation for Redwood Day School.

A mission statement is an organization's clear representation of its purpose and reason for existence. A mission statement also holds an institution to a path of continual improvement and renewal, as well as inspiring it to new heights of accomplishment. Simultaneously, a mission statement serves as a touchstone when facing, making, and implementing tough decisions -- on an individual as well as community basis. In a concise mission statement, every word matters.

For the past two years, the Board of Trustees has taken a hard look at the RDS mission statement. Created in the early 1990's, our mission statement was due for affirmation, revision, or replacement. Today, after much work and input from faculty, staff, parents, and guardians, we are proud to present to you the new RDS mission statement that was unanimously passed by the Board of Trustees on October 16, 2010:

As you can see, this new mission statement borrows heavily from the past and explicates some of the implicit ideas from the last mission statement -- academic excellence and meaningful living. In addition, it incorporates our motto -- Engaged. Prepared. Inspired. -- making clear the connection between mission and motto. It's amazing how well one, well-crafted sentence captures the essence of RDS!

While working on the mission statement, the Board of Trustees was concurrently creating a new Strategic Plan that will guide us for the next four years. This document was approved at the last Board meeting on November 17. The purpose of the Strategic Plan is to identify where RDS wants to deepen and grow over the next four years. We invite you, through the lens of our new mission statement, to read and reflect on the new RDS Strategic Plan and the goals that lie ahead.

The mission statement and strategic plan will not only guide RDS through the future, they will also direct the School in the selection of our next Head of School.  That is, these documents will assist us in identifying a person who resonates with the mission statement and who embraces the immediate future as described in the strategic plan.

The Board of Trustees, when operating effectively, is largely invisible to the School because their purpose is to think twenty years out while simultaneously assuring the current fiduciary health of the institution -- which is why now, more than ever, it is appropriate to acknowledge them publicly for these two huge accomplishments. We therefore thank the entire Board of Trustees for all their efforts in revising our mission statement and for the creation of our new strategic plan. During this time, the Board received valuable feedback from faculty, staff, administration, parents, and guardians without ever losing sight of their responsibility as Trustees to lead, and ultimately approve, both of these efforts. We honor everyone that offered their input along the way, as well as the individual Trustees who gave mightily of their time and energy to craft and approve these important statements.

Finally, these documents stand on the shoulders of all RDS families, students, faculty, staff, and Trustees that have come before us since the founding of the School in 1963. We would never have this wonderful school and community without your efforts and care. To all of you, we give thanks.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Dan Whalen                                                    Mike Riera

Chair, Board of Trustees                                   Head of School